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Simple Meatloaf Recipes:Cheesy Mini-Meatloaves

This is one of the best simple meatloaf recipes I know. It's easy to make, it uses simple ingredients, and it's delicious!

When I'm in a meatloaf mood but I'm pressed for time, I make these. They cook in half the time of a conventional meatloaf!

These are delicious hot or cold. Try taking the leftovers in your lunchbox the next day!

Check that you have these staples at home

in the cupboard

salt

pepper

in the fridge or freezer

onion

bread crumbs

bottled lemon juice

eggs

ground beef (about 2 pounds/1kg)

Cheddar cheese

Get out your equipment

Essential

a large mixing bowl

muffin tins

a grater

Nice to have but not necessary

a meat thermometer

measuring cups and spoons (if not, just estimate the amounts)

The recipe

Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

3/4 cup/180 mL finely chopped onion

2/3 cup/150 mL bread crumbs

1/3 cup/75 mL lemon juice

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp/2 mL salt

1/4 tsp/1 mL pepper

2 lb/1 kg lean ground beef

1/2 cup/125 mL Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large bowl, mix the onion, bread crumbs, lemon juice, egg, salt and pepper.Add the beef. Mix well.Pack the mixture into 12 muffin cups.Mound some cheese over each mini-loaf.Bake for about 45 minutes, or until meatloaves are set and the meat is no longer pink inside.

Substitutions

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of bottled.

Ideas for making this recipe your own

Experiment with different kinds of ground meat - like ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey. Or use a combination.

Try using another cheese in place of the Cheddar. How about mozzarella, or Monteray Jack?

Tips

You can use either a mixing spoon or your clean hands to mix the meatloaf.

A set of cast iron muffin tins would be perfect for this recipe! (I don't have one yet, but I wish I did!) It's not easy to clean the meat out of regular aluminium muffin tins. You may want to have a separate set of muffin tins just for this recipe, because they will get mucky and may never be as clean as they were before!

Bread crumbs will stay fresh for a long time if you store them in your freezer.

To ensure that the meatloaf muffins are completely cooked, either use a meat thermometer or cut one mini meatloaf in half to check that there is no pink remaining inside. (If you use a thermometer, ensure that the interior temperature of the meat is at least 160F/71C.)

Menu suggestion

Serve this dish with

steamed sweet potatoes

frozen peas

a green salad

If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like these other simple meatloaf recipes: